


you're skin and bones

by wafflesofdoom



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Angst, M/M, Star Trek AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 03:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12855546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/pseuds/wafflesofdoom
Summary: lieutenant commander robert sugden transfers to the uss endurance in the midst of the klingon war, and despite not exactly getting along, he and chief of security aaron dingle shape each others final days of the war.or, the star trek au nobody asked for.





	you're skin and bones

**Author's Note:**

> this one is inspired by star trek discovery, and a general lifelong love of all things trek. it's sort of become my baby, over the past couple of weeks, and i'm somewhat nervous about publishing it to the wilds of ao3. but, nonetheless, i hope you enjoy!

The Federation went to war on Aaron's 21st birthday. He remembered it as though it was yesterday. Fresh out of the academy, and home on a weeks leave before he shipped out on his first real assignment as an officer, news of the Klingon attack broke as he was downing a pint in his mum's pub, celebrating another year in the life. Twelve hours later, he was armed and on a shuttle to the USS Endurance, ready for war.

Never ending,  _exhausting_  war.

It had been two years, already, and the war showed no signs of letting up. All those years Aaron had spent dreaming of joining Starfleet, of all the adventures he would have with the Starlet insignia on his chest, all those years he had spent reciting “we come in peace” excitedly as Chas watched on with a fond grin - none of them had become his reality.

No, reality these days was war.

Aaron was good at war, he understood war. He hadn’t had a choice to do anything otherwise, really, it was kill or be killed in a world where the Klingons were determined to bring about the end of the Federation.

_We come in peace_.

Maybe they did, once, but Federation ships were synonymous with battle now, not with exploration, not with science. Endurance was a deep space science vessel, and it had been turned to a war ship within the first two weeks of the war, the losses during that first battle with the Klingons enough to cripple the fleet.

Holstering his phaser, Aaron stepped out of his quarters, and into the bustling hallways of Endurance. For all his exhaustion of the war effort, Aaron loved being in Starfleet, he really did - he loved the pride he felt when he put his uniform on, knowing he was serving cause so much greater than himself. He loved the people he served with, loved every inch of the Andromeda class ship that had become his home over the last two years.

He’d never give it up, war be damned.

“Lieutenant, thank you for joining me,” Captain Smith greeted, stoic as always. He’d served during the first Klingon war, the one that was supposed to put an end to it all, and it showed - he was unwavering in battle in a way others weren’t, and Aaron had a lot of respect for him.

More so now Smith had promoted Aaron to chief of security.

Twenty three years old, and chief of security on the USS Endurance. Aaron’s mum had close to cried, when he’d called her with the news, proud as anything that a kid from a backward Earth village could make something of himself like Aaron was.

“Of course sir,” Aaron nodded, following the captain toward the transportation room.

“Lieutenant Commander Sugden is one of the best officers we have,” Captain Smith continued, Aaron barely holding in a snort. Commander Sugden’s reputation preceded him, gossip about a controversy between Sugden, an Andorian science officer, and Admiral White’s two daughters travelling across the galaxy like wildfire.

Before their conversation could continue, someone Aaron could only assume was Commander Sugden materialised in the transportation room, and well - it was cliche to say, really, but the bottom sort of dropped out of Aaron’s stomach.

He was gorgeous, absolutely bloody gorgeous, all blond hair and blue eyes, pale skin stark against his navy uniform, a confident smirk fixed in place on his face as he scanned the room, clearly trying to get his bearings.

The rumours were true then, Aaron thought to himself, keeping his best poker face in place as Commander Sugden greeted the captain. The heartthrob of Starfleet really  _was_  a heartthrob.

“Commander Sugden, pleased to have you aboard,” Captain Smith greeted, offering Robert a hand.

“Glad to be aboard sir,” Robert shook his hand, giving the Captain an ear-to-ear grin, the kind of grin that people in his class at the academy had drooled over, everyone itching for glimpse of the then-Lieutenant when he was on-world.

“Commander, this is our chief of security, Lieutenant Dingle,” Captain Smith continued. “I unfortunately have a briefing with the Admiral I can’t miss, but Dingle will show you to your quarters.”

“Of course,” Robert inclined his head slightly, gaze fixed on Aaron as the Captain walked away, as though he was analysing Aaron, giving him the once over. “Chief of security?” he said, curiosity clear in his voice.

“Did they not have one on your previous ship, sir?” Aaron retorted, just about managing to choke the word sir out, Robert’s attitude  _hardly_  impressing him.

“You seem young, thats all.”

“I’m good at my job,” Aaron couldn’t stop himself from glaring at Robert, glancing across the corridor at the other man. Superior officer or not, Aaron didn’t like the implication of Robert’s words.

He was  _damn_  good at his job, thank you very much.

“I wasn’t suggesting otherwise,” Robert’s grin had yet to slip from his face, the confidence smile feeling more like a self absorbed smirk the longer Aaron was looking at the other officer. “I’m sure you earned your spot.”

Aaron paused outside the quarters that had been assigned to Robert. “As I’m sure you did too, sir,” he said, trying to keep as calm and collected as he could. His temper was renowned, on the ship, and letting lose on a superior officer probably wasn’t his best plan.

Robert’s eyes narrowed. “Is that supposed to mean something, Lieutenant Dingle?”

Pulling rank, of course.

Aaron smiled sweetly. “Your reputation precedes you, sir,” he said, knowing the implication of his own words hung heavily in the air. “These are your quarters. Welcome aboard Endurance.”

“I’m looking forward to working with you.”

Aaron barely held back an eye roll as he walked away. “You too, sir,” he replied through gritted teeth, already wondering how he could convince Barton to leave the new Commander behind on their next on-world mission.

A date, maybe, Aaron thought to himself, hands folded behind his back as he stepped into the elevator, the familiar surrounds of the high-tech pod a comfort as he waited to be taken to the flight deck, the ship on course for a reconnaissance mission in the Galactic Barrier, one Aaron was due to lead.

This, this was what he was good at - planning, fighting. Aaron hated the politics that came with leadership, hated having to stand alongside Captain Smith as he greeted Federation officials aboard, ones that only ever came aboard to tell them how they should be fighting this war, like  _they_  were the ones on the frontline, putting their bodies on the line in the name of the Federation.

Most of all, he hated people like Commander Sugden, self absorbed, self centred, the kind of people who thought they knew it all.

“Lieutenant Dingle, we’re on course for Alpha Quadrant,” Finn greeted, looking over his shoulder. “We’re due to drop out of warp in fifteen, the Captain asked that you get your team ready.”

“Thanks, Barton,” Aaron scanned the bridge for the Captain, Leyla in the captains chair. “You finally oust everyone else?” he asked with a cheeky grin, Leyla responding with a signature roll of her eyes.

“You know I wish I could,” she smiled. “The Captain is still in a meeting with the Admiral.”

Aaron nodded. “You still happy to come on world with me?” he inquired, leaning against the back of the chair. They’d been without a first officer for close to two weeks now, Sugden’s transfer delayed, and so he and Leyla had been filling the void. He had to admit there was something addictive about sitting in that captain’s chair, the bridge at your fingertips.

It made him want that for himself, one day, despite the politics of it all.

Leyla raised an eyebrow. “Like  _I_  would miss a science recon mission, Aaron,” she laughed. “You know I’ve wanted on this planet since the Captain mentioned it, it’s got -“

“An unusual energy core, I know,” Aaron finished for her. “Just checking. Gear up as soon as the Captain comes back, yeah?”

Before their conversation could continue, the Captain reappeared on the bridge, flanked by  _Robert_. “A change of plans, Lieutenant,” Captain Smith at least had the decency to look apologetic. “Commander Sugden will lead this recon mission at the request of the Admiral.”

Twenty minutes on board, and this dickhead was already stealing his missions.

“Of course sir,” Aaron forced himself to be polite, standing straight, looking between the Captain, and a positively gleeful Robert.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” Robert grinned, clapping him on the shoulder, looking far more self satisfied than Aaron could bring himself to stomach. “We’re going to have fun together, you and me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any backup Aaron thought he might get from Leyla went out the window, as the two of them realised they’d gone through the academy together. So, not only had he lost out on his first big mission as chief of security, he had to listen to Robert and Leyla wax poetic about the good old days back in the academy.

_Great_. Just, positively brilliant.

“Endurance, this is Lieutenant Dingle, we’re just coming in to land,” Aaron said, wishing Leyla and Robert would take the hint, and just  _shut_  up and get on with the mission at hand.

_“Check ins every three hours, Dingle.”_

“Yessir,” Aaron confirmed, glancing through the glass as they came in to land, the planet flickering blue in front of them. This was always his favourite part, the bit he had joined Starfleet for, the exploration and adventure.

If you just ignored the fact they were on this planet to try and duplicate their energy field for new war tech, of course.

“You handle this shuttle well,” Robert commented, finally having enough of his conversation with Leyla, watching Aaron with a curious eye.

“I’m very good at my job,  _sir_ ,” Aaron said, shutting the shuttle down. “Ley, you have everything you need?” he turned around, barely holding in a laugh as Leyla very inelegantly gathered the insane amount of gear she needed for this trip.

“Don’t laugh, help me!” Leyla rolled her eyes, jerking her head toward one of the cases. “I should need four, fives hours tops to get the data I need.”

“Easy,” Robert said cooly, not looking the slightest bit overwhelmed by anything that was going on. Aaron still always felt overwhelmed, coming on world like this - it was like nothing he’d ever known, back on Earth, but Robert was probably one of those people who’d grown up on commercial ships - the first time Aaron left  _England_ , let alone Earth, was to go to the Starfleet Academy.

“Don’t jinx it,” Aaron muttered, following Robert out of the ship, making sure Leyla was following before he locked the doors, turning his focus to the planet around them.

He had an eye for security, Smith said.

“Lieutenant, what are you doing?”

“Securing the perimeter,” Aaron replied, walking a careful circle around the clearing they were in. It was on the edge of a cliff, the drop maybe fifteen metres away, the trees around the clearing sparse - it was easy to see people approaching from any side, a good enough vantage point to put Aaron at ease, a little at least.

“Aren’t I giving the orders around here?” Robert joked, looking absolutely nonchalant as he stood, hands in his armoured vest, casual as anything.

“Do I need your permission to do my job?” Aaron retorted, not bothering to turn around, still scanning the trees.

“Would you take my permission to cheer up?”

“No,” Aaron replied simply, settling himself on one of the free standing rocks, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I wouldn’t, sir.”

“Noted,” Robert rolled his eyes, settling himself on a rock opposite. “Are you a talk while you work kind of person, Ley?”

Leyla waved Robert off, her focus on her equipment now. Leyla was probably the best scientist Aaron had ever encountered, so in tune with everything she did, every piece of tech she got her hands on. Aaron had never had the head for numbers science required, but Leyla was better than a computer, most days - he’d seen the maths competitions they had down in the engineering deck for himself, after all.

“So, Dingle.”

Aaron looked up, barely holding in a groan at Robert’s expectant look. “Yeah?”

“You said my reputation preceded me,” Robert grinned. “You want to explain that one?”

“I’ve just heard what everyone else has,” Aaron shrugged, not wanting to say much more. Robert was a superior officer, after all.

“Which would be?” Robert pushed,  _always_  pushing, wasn’t he?

“An interesting story about two sisters and an Andorian businessman, Robert,” Leyla piped up. “Stop trying to make him squirm, its your first day.”

“I like knowing what other people think of me,” Robert shrugged. “Everyone forgets the Vulcan, when they tell that story.”

“Is there a planet in the Federation you haven’t managed to make enemies on?” Leyla laughed, sitting back on her haunches, fiddling with one of her devices. Aaron had only half listened, when she’d briefed him on the planet’s energy core - apparently it would up the strength of their ship shields, if she could get enough data.

Aaron was better at being the muscle, really.

“It depends,” Robert grinned. “I have left a trail of broken hearts across the galaxy, if thats what you mean.”

“You think you have, anyway,” Leyla rolled her eyes. “Aaron, honestly, this guy was the worst back at the academy. He came to visit me one afternoon and ended up shagging my roommate.”

“ _Valentina_ , she was fun.”

“You were a sex addict,” Leyla joked, throwing a stray pebble at Robert’s leg. “Aaron, entertain him for a while, please, or we’ll never get off this planet.”

Aaron looked at Robert, twisting the bracelet he wore around his wrist, a plaited thing Liv had made him last time he had been home, as he spoke. “You’re English, then,” he commented.

“I am,” Robert confirmed. “Around about the same place as you, I reckon.”

“Yorkshire accent,” Aaron hummed his agreement. “You never lost yours either.”  
  
“I don’t think I’d suit the Starfleet diplomat accent,” Robert grinned, the neutral accent the higher ups in Starfleet all seemed to have a running joke among the rest of them. They were all Federation citizens, sure, but no officer was ever willing to give up their heritage in favour of the steel and blue of Starfleet.

Aaron couldn’t help his grin. “I don’t know if you’d make much of a diplomat, by the sounds of it.”

Robert laughed, sounding good-natured about it, at least. “A lot of people would probably agree with you on that one.”

Aaron picked at the fraying material of his bracelet. “You made Lieutenant Commander at twenty-nine for a reason, though.”

“You look up my files?”

“It’s hard to serve in Starfleet these days and not hear about you,” Aaron admitted. “Plus, I like knowing who I’m working with.”

“You been chief of security long then?” Robert inquired.

Aaron’s heart sunk into his stomach. “Two weeks,” he admitted. “Klingon attack took out the USS Andromeda and some of our crew, we were lucky to make it out of the system intact.”

“I’m sorry.”

Aaron shrugged. “We’ve all got a story like that these days, right?”

“It doesn’t make it any easier,” Robert said, voice softer than it had been previously, the kindness unexpected, considering the swagger and confidence that Robert had been oozing for his first few hours aboard Endurance.

“That’s life,” Aaron said, standing up abruptly. He was not going to let himself get a crush on Robert Sugden, of all the Starfleet officers in the universe, thank you very much. He was better than that, he  _was_.

Plus, he already had  _one_  ex-boyfriend aboard Endurance to awkwardly avoid, and one was enough, thank you very much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Science missions could be boring. Aaron would never actually say that to Leyla’s face, because he valued being able to breathe for himself, but it always ended up being a lot of sitting around and not doing much, for him, at least.

Leyla looked as though she was having the time of her life.

“Endurance, this is Lieutenant Dingle, checking in as scheduled,” Aaron said into his comms unit, raising an eyebrow at Robert, who was panned out on the grass, soaking up the sun, looking as though he was half asleep.

_“Noted, Lieutenant. Check in again in three hours.”_

Another ( _potential_ ) three hours of watching Leyla work, great. Just, wonderful. “Yessir,” Aaron grimaced, waiting for Endurance to confirm they’d gotten his message before he closed the unit, sticking it back in his vest.

With Robert apparently out for the count, and Leyla working, Aaron figured it was a good time to walk the perimeter of the clearing. He wasn’t much of a one for sitting still when on a mission, if he was honest - Aaron could never quite turn his chief of security brain off until he was clocked off, and back in his own quarters, the rest of the ship, the war sealed off.

“I’m going to take a loop,” Aaron said aloud, Leyla waving him off with a frustrated hand.

She’d heard, at least.

Aaron let out a long, slow breath as he started to carefully pick his way around the large clearing, eyes and ears open. He liked getting to be on world, every now and then. Starfleet made sure they had as much artificial fresh air as they could want aboard the ships, but nothing compared to the real thing - he’d grown up in the countryside, after all, he knew what real fresh air felt like, not the smog that seemed to still linger over so many Earth cities, not the strange, artificial oxygen that was pumped through every federation ship.

No, this was the real deal, cool and crisp as Aaron took long, lingering breaths, walking slowly around the clearing.

It was an Earth-like planet. Aaron had gone through the academy with so many people who had thought Earth-like planets were boring missions, but Aaron liked them - there was something funny, about landing on Earth-like planets, when a few hundred years ago humans were convinced they were alone in the universe.

It was like a reminder that Earth wasn’t really all the special, despite what people still seemed to think. There was a universe of Earth-like planets out there, all going about their daily lives.

Aaron liked the magnitude of the universe. It had never really scared him, or overwhelmed him, to think of how vast, how infinite their universe was - he’d always been excited by it, knowing there was a universe out there for him to explore, that his life wouldn’t always be confined to the Yorkshire Dales and the village where whispers and rumours followed him, even to this day.

No, in the deepest parts of their galaxy, thousands of light years from Earth, no one knew Aaron, no one knew his story, his secrets, his past, and that was just how he liked it.

A cracking noise from his left drew Aaron’s attention, his hand going to his holster. Robert and Leyla didn’t seem to hear anything, the two of them now having an easy, quiet conversation, Robert messing with one of the styluses Leyla had with her.

Maybe he was overreacting.

And then he spotted someone moving among the trees.

“Sugden,” Aaron hissed, backing into the clearing. “Movement, nine o’clock.”

Robert was up and armed in a split second, his calm expression turning focused in a split second. “I thought this was an uninhabited planet,” he said quietly.

“Is is,” Leyla piped up, a hand on her own phaser. “The native population migrated to another home planet thirty years ago due to poison in the planet’s main ocean. It’s fine to visit, but it’s not possible to live here long term.”

“So either someone is very homesick,” Robert said, finger hovering over the trigger. “Or it’s a Klingon vessel looking for the same thing we are.”

“I’d hedge my bets on it being the second option, sir,” Aaron replied, the distant sound of Klingon chatter filling the quiet forest.

“Phasers to kill,” Robert ordered, helping Leyla pack up the last of her gear. “You think we have time to get back inside the ship?”

Aaron squinted at the ship. Fifteen metres or so away, no cover between them and the doors. “Maybe.”

“Now is the time for honesty, Dingle.”

“No, it’s too open,” Aaron shook his head. “We’d have to abandon the tech to get there fast enough, and that means giving the Klingon’s the data Leyla’s been gathering. I think you should call for transport and we destroy the carrier.”

Robert couldn’t help but grin. “Alright then, chief,” he said, speaking quietly into his comms unit. “Endurance, this is Commander Sugden. Requesting emergency beam up from the planet, we have a Klingon sighting.”

_“Commander, the planet’s energy core is interfering with the transportation tech, we can’t get a lock on your signals,”_  Finn’s voice buzzed over the line.  _“You’ll have to take the ship back up.”_

_“And do it quick, a Klingon war vessel is approaching at warp,”_  Captain Smith added. “ _We’ll provide cover for you._ ”

Aaron watched as Robert muttered a frustrated yessir into his comms unit, looking at his superior expectantly. “I’ll cover and you get Leyla back to the ship?” he suggested,  the sounds of the Klingon’s getting closer.

Robert shook his head. “You get back to the ship, I’ll cover. That’s an order, Dingle,” he added when Aaron didn’t immediately jump to action.

He hadn’t expected Robert to be the self sacrificing type, if he was honest.

“Let’s go Ley,” Aaron said, grabbing the heaviest of the cases Leyla had, phaser pointed ahead as they started to run, just as the first Klingon came within seeing distance.

It was funny, really, how in war - your brain just seemed to click into gear, even when you were panicking. Aaron realised that six months in, that the longer the war went on, the more likely it was that he could learn to run on autopilot.

Run, fight, shoot. Shoot, fight, run.

Aaron all but shoved Leyla into the shuttle, turning to look at how Robert was doing. He was halfway to the shuttle, but the lack of coverage in the clearing was making it impossible for him to get more than a few steps forward at a time.

“Commander!” Aaron tried to catch his attention, Robert focused on protecting himself from the advancing Klingon’s. In a split second, Aaron’s decision was made, and he ducked out of the shuttle, firing ahead. “ _Robert_!”

Robert seemed to click with what Aaron was doing fairly quickly, and he started to run, firing aimlessly over his shoulder, Aaron providing most of the cover. He skidded into the ship with an almighty clatter, Aaron stumbling in after him, Leyla slamming the security doors shut.

Holstering his phaser, Aaron offered a breathless Robert up off the floor, giving the commander a reassuring grin. “I’ve never left a man behind before, sir,” he said, heaving Robert up off the floor.

Robert didn’t have the most impressed look on his face as he shook off Aaron’s grip, dusting down his uniform. “Get us out of here, Dingle.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron knew there was a degree of selflessness, that came with being in Starfleet. You looked out for the people you served with, that was how it worked - but he’d like Robert to maybe make eye-contact with him, after he went and saved his ass from becoming a Klingon dinner.

Robert had sat silently - no, no, he had  _sulked,_ the entire way back to Endurance, had sulked all through their debrief, and Aaron had enough of it. If they were going to be serving side by side for the rest of the war, Robert was going to have to quit acting like a complete dickhead.

“Commander,” Aaron called after Robert, spotting him walking down the hallway. “Do you have a second to talk?”

Robert turned around, tablet in hand. “Not really,” he responded shortly, barely lifting his gaze from whatever he was reading.

Aaron hated when people did that, acted like they were doing Aaron a favour by giving him the time of day. He might have been an unlikely Starfleet officer, from a poor, rural village (one of the few left, these days) in England, but he deserved to be here as much as anyone else, and he sure as hell deserved some respect from Robert.

“Have I done something to offend you, sir?” Aaron managed to choke out the title, deciding he’d let Robert make an almighty show of himself, that he wouldn’t stoop as low as the older man.

“No.”

“Then why are you acting as if I have?” Aaron inquired. “Commander, we’re going to be serving in close contact for however long Endurance is at the front line of this war, I’d rather not have you blatantly ignore me when we’re supposed to be a team.”

Robert sighed, as though this conversation was boring him. “It’s fine, Dingle, there’s nothing wrong.”

Realisation dawned on Aaron. “Are you annoyed that I saved your life, sir?” he asked, not able to help the smirk that appeared on his face as he put two and two together, Robert’s pissed off demeanour obvious now he actually gave it some thought.

Robert glared at him. “We worked as a team out there, Lieutenant.”

“I saved your life, sir,” Aaron grinned. “And you’re mad about it. Would you have rathered I left you out there to die? Just so I know for future missions.”

Robert rolled his eyes. “Do you always talk back to your superiors like this?” he inquired, bluey-green eyes narrow as he glared at Aaron, his annoyance obvious, and only adding to Aaron’s self satisfied smirk.

“You’re the exception, sir,” Aaron responded, the bustling noise of the ship and it’s crew around them barely feeling like background noise, his focus on the Commander. It was probably the longest conversation the two of them had had, alone, since Robert had arrived, and Aaron couldn’t help but curse the part of his brain that was drawn to Robert, that was captivated by his physical attributes - the freckles, the slightly overgrown blond fringe he was dying to run his fingers through.

“I’ve got work to do, Lieutenant,” Robert said, not sounding particularly pleased Aaron had figured him out so easily. He turned on his heel, heading down the hallway, his grip on the tablet knuckle tight.

Aaron really couldn’t help himself, couldn’t stop himself from calling after the new commander, voice laced with sarcasm. “Consider it payback for stealing my mission -  _sir_!”

(He was going to pay for that comment, wasn’t he?)

( _Probably_.)

( ** _Definitely_**.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron didn’t have an ulterior motive for looking up Robert’s records. They were public to command staff, after all, and he was  _curious_. As chief of security, it was his duty to know exactly who he was serving with.

(If he kept telling himself it was because of duty, he’d eventually be able to ignore the part of his brain that was definitely only looking the Commander up because he was stupidly attracted to him.)

_Robert Jacob Sugden, born 22nd April, Stardate 2386._

Aaron looked up as he heard a noise, the canteen normally quiet this time of day - it was why he always took his break around now, desperate for a bit of piece, and a cup of tea. His tea-breaks had always been the highlight of his day back on Earth, those fifteen minutes where he could just sit, and be by himself.

It was just one of the younger crew members grabbing food, so Aaron turned his attention back to his screen.

_Place of Birth: Emmerdale, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Earth._

Emmerdale?

_Aaron_  was from Emmerdale. Well, he wasn’t, really - he’d been born in Leeds, spent most of his life there before he’d ran away at fifteen, his mum taking him in again. But he hadn’t known of anyone with the name Sugden living in Emmerdale - years back, long before he’d moved there, maybe, there was a few gravestones with Sugden emblazoned on them, a few plots up from Jacksons, but no Sugden’s in the village, not anymore.

Making a mental note to ask his mum, Aaron kept scrolling through the file, names of schools and jobs he didn’t recognise filling up most of the first page, the pre-Starfleet stuff the same strange mix he had on his own file, odd jobs and apprenticeships, the hallmark of someone who’d probably left school around the same time he had done, sixteen and too young to know any better.

So, not a typical rich kid who’d always been destined for Starfleet, and the officer track then.

“Aaron.”

Aaron looked up, an exhausted looking Finn standing in front of him. “Finn? You alright?” he asked, worried immediately. Finn had been heading up engineering, the past few weeks, the Federation reluctant to send a new head engineer, recourses tight. Finn was clever, but he was new enough to Starfleet that the responsibility was taking its toll.

“Captain Smith wants to speak to you and Commander Sugden in his office,” Finn said. “I’ve tried calling you, but your comms are off.”

Aaron looked down at the device he’d put face down on the table, knowing for a fact he’d switched it off, desperate for five minutes peace. “It must be faulty, I’ll get someone to look at it,” he said, switching off the tablet. “Thanks, mate.”

“No worries,” Finn was dead on his feet, tired enough not to even question Aaron’s blatant lie.

“Get some rest, eh?” Aaron nudged, downing the dregs of his now cold tea. “You’re no use to anyone if you’re not fully operational, Barton.”

“I’m finding it hard to sleep,” Finn admitted, face pale. He was one of their newest assignments, recruited from the Federation research division to join Starfleet, his expertise needed now the war was happening - Aaron guessed he wasn’t coping all the well with the nastier side of war.

Aaron gave Finn the most sympathetic look he could muster. “Ask Ed, for some sleeping pills,” he said. “Enough to give you a full eight hours, and tell him I cleared it.”

Finn gave him a grateful, albeit tired smile. “Thanks, Aaron.”

“Don’t mention it,” Aaron shook his head. “Just, rest up and be ready, rumour has it theres an on-world mission coming soon, and I might need you for it. I want you at your best, Barton!”

Aaron didn’t wait for Finn to reply, tucking his tablet under his arm, and heading for the bridge. The doors of the transporter were about to close, and Aaron quickly called out, not wanting to waste time waiting for another.

“Hold the doors!”

Thankfully, whoever was in there did just that, and Aaron skidded into the lift, and came face to face with none other than Robert Sugden. Perfect timing, really, considering he had the commanders personnel file open under his arm.

“Dingle,” Robert said, pausing for a second to direct the transporter to the bridge. “I got a notification saying someone had accessed my personnel file, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Aaron willed his cheeks to at least go a muted shade of pink, instead of their usual bright red, if his face insisted blushing was the best reaction to Robert’s accusations. “No sir, I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“It was probably the Captain,” Robert hummed, not looking entirely convinced by Aaron’s lie.

“Probably,” Aaron agreed, genuinely wishing the transporter would launch him into outer space, rather than the bridge.

Just as the doors slid open, Robert turned to look at him. “It’s okay, you know,” he said, giving Aaron what looked like a genuine grin. “I looked up your file too.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Lieutenant Harding has located a planet with a similar energy core to that of the one in the Alpha Quadrant,” Captain Smith began, bringing up a galaxy map. “It’s risky, pursing another mission so closely related to the previous one, but we need more data on these energy sources.”

Aaron squinted at the planet name, trying to figure out if he knew it or not. “Is this not a former mining colony, sir?” he inquired, finally realising why the name sounded so familiar to him.

“Yes,” Captain Smith confirmed, arms folded across his chest. “It was destroyed during the first weeks of the war, and has been left uninhabited since.”

“How did we not realise the planet had an energy core like this when we had a colony here?” Robert inquired, voicing Aaron’s own concerns.

“We did,” Captain Smith said. “Although a mining colony, there was also a science research division on-world who were looking into finding a way of harnessing the energy to create a more reliable power source for the fleet.”

“So can we just retrieve that data?” Aaron asked, the mission seeming simpler, and simpler. If someone else had began the work already, well - it would save them a lot of time, and time was everything, in the midst of a war. Saving time meant winning the war faster, and winning the war faster meant Aaron could go home, and see his family, and actually get to explore the universe, not fight to keep it safe.

He’d do anything, really, to end this war.

“Unfortunately not,” Captain Smith said, shaking his head. “The team were under strict orders to destroy all their research if attacked, and so they set their lab to self destruct when the Klingons invaded.”

Aaron swallowed thickly, not wanting to think of the fear they had felt, when the Klingons had attacked. The colony had been hit during the first wave, the one no one had been ready, or prepared for, and Aaron couldn’t help but think of how scared they were - mining colonies were places for families, kids growing up on mining worlds, and the planet had been virtually wiped out that day, survivors totalling about a hundred people, the records showing up to five thousand lived in that colony alone.

“And you are under the same orders.”

Aaron looked up, giving the Captain a confused look. “Sorry, sir?”

“Our technology cannot fall into Klingon hands,” Captain Smith warned. “It’s all that stands between us being wiped out entirely. If you are attacked, you are under strict orders to destroy all tech and data you have collected.”

“Sir -“

“Including the shuttle,” Captain Smith interrupted, giving them both a serious look. “We are close to ending this war, and we cannot risk jeprodisring that. Am I being clear?”

Aaron bit his tongue, not wanting to reply. This? This sounded like a suicide mission, and one he really didn’t want to be a part of, let alone bring others on. As chief of security, he had a responsibility to maintain the security of his crew, and he didn’t want to promise to put peoples lives at risk.

He couldn’t.

“Yessir,” Robert answered for the both of them, voice steady, and even, not giving anything away. Aaron couldn’t even tell if the orders had affected him, not really - Robert was either extraordinarily good at putting on a front, or he really just didn’t care.

“Your mission is the same as before,” Captain Smith continued, satisfied. “Take Lieutenants Harding and Barton with you, you depart in thirty minutes.”

Aaron was silent as he followed Robert out of the Captain’s office, silently fuming. “This is a suicide mission, Robert,” he managed to growl out, Robert standing stoically next to him, as though they hadn’t just been given orders that directly contradicted everything Starfleet was about.

“It’s a war ending mission, Lieutenant,” Robert replied. “So I suggest you get your gear, and get ready to go. We’ve got work to do.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron was proud, of being in Starfleet, he was. He loved everything about the organisation he’d come to know as his home, in the years since he’d joined - he’d never felt pride quite like he had the day he’d arrived the academy, tattered backpack in hand, ready to start his new life. He’d never felt more pride than he did the day he’d been handed his insignia, ready to wear them on his chest, and go where no man had gone before.

He wasn’t proud now, standing guard as Leyla and Finn dissected the remains of the former lab, most of it blown to oblivion, and he certainly wasn’t proud as he looked over at Robert, the Commander sitting, Rubex cube in hand, his focus on the old, outdated toy in front of him.

No, Aaron wasn’t proud now.

He felt sick, sick to his stomach that if the Klingon’s were to attack, they were supposed to just blown their ship up, and hope to God Endurance could get a lock on them, and beam them up.

It wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.

Aaron remembered reading the Starfleet mission statement over, and over when he was a child, curled up under his planet patterned bedsheets. To promote peace and cooperation between all nations of the universe, thats what it said - those were the words he’d spend years reciting, the thing he would tell himself as he struggled through years of school, determined to get the grades he needed to apply for Starfleet.

They were the same words he repeated over, and over, when everything in his life had been falling apart, the promise of a life of exploration and wonder within the ranks of Starfleet the only thing that had gotten him through some of his very worst days, and now, now he was supposed to forget those words? He was supposed to go against everything he stood for, everything Starfleet was supposed to stand for?

No, no - he couldn’t, he  _wouldn’t_.

“I can hear you thinking from here.”

Aaron looked up at Robert’s words, the other man giving him a nonchalant look, fingers twisting at the Rubex cube. “I’m fine,” he replied shortly, brushing his fingers over his pistol, almost an involuntary action to make sure it was there, at this point.

Aaron never wanted to be caught off guard.

“War isn’t won through easy decisions, Dingle,” Robert said, clicking the final piece of the cube into place, looking delighted with himself as he did so. “It’s difficult, and it’s complicated, and it takes a few mistakes to find the solution. A bit like this, really.”

“Are you using your rubex cube as a metaphor for  _war_?” Aaron said, hoping his distain was clear.

“Everything is a metaphor, if you try hard enough,” Robert grinned. “Look, all I’m saying is that we have to make tough choices to win this war. This mission mightn’t even come to that, you don’t know that for sure.”  
  
“The fact the order is there at all, is what makes me uncomfortable,” Aaron replied, gazing flickering around the clearing. The science lab had been built into the side of a mountain, open to the clearing where the mining village once was, rotting remains of what had once been a bustling hub of activity stretched out in front of them for what felt like miles.

He’d been to a working mining colony, once. Aaron had gone with a security team, Starfleet wanting them to make sure everything was okay, that the mines and their workers were safe. It had been crazy busy, people everywhere, kids and parents and workers alike.

Thats what his planet had been, once, and it was hard to imagine that now, standing in the wreckage that was left behind.

“If what we do, stops this happening to another Federation colony, isn’t it worth it?” Robert inquired, pocketing his rubex cube, and standing up. “Isn’t it better than becoming Klingon dinner?”

“We have a responsibility to the people we serve with, too.”

“Yeah,” Robert hummed his agreement. “But we’re on the front line, aren’t we? We’re the last line of defence between our home worlds, and the Klingon’s. You’ve got family back on Earth, don’t you?”

“Family I want to go home to,” Aaron replied, thinking of his mum, the rest of his madcap family, people he hadn’t seen in close to two years, now.

Robert gave him a sad smile. “I want to keep mine safe.”

“Can’t we have both?” Aaron countered.  “Can’t - can’t we keep everyone safe, and go home too?”

“In an ideal world,” Robert said, and before they could continue their conversation, they heard it - Klingon ships.

Aaron’s heart lurched into his throat, and he took a second to panic before he started to move, ducking into the cave where Leyla and Finn were. “Gather your gear, now,” he ordered. “Klingon’s are here.”

“I need thirty more seconds.”

“We don’t have thirty seconds, Ley,” Aaron shook his head. “They’re too close, we need to go.”

“Thirty seconds Aaron, I have my orders,” Leyla replied. “I get this information back to the ship, thats what I’m here to do.”

“Are they giving us different fucking orders, now?” Aaron couldn’t hold back his anger, glaring at Robert. “We’re supposed to be a team, Commander.”

“This information gets to Endurance, and then we blow this place sky high,” Robert said, already setting explosives on the walls. “Either you help me, Dingle, or you shut your damn mouth and wait it out.”

Aaron’s blood was boiling, as he reached for some of the devices Robert had, twisting and clicking them into place. They suctioned to the cool cave walls easily, lights flashing in unison as they synced together, ready to cause an almighty explosion.

“Leyla?” Robert called, desperation evident in his voice as he shouted, the first indication that he was being effected by this, by the fucking suicide mission they’d been sent on.

“Fifteen seconds, Robert,” Leyla replied, Aaron watching as Finn attached more explosives to their equipment, like this was a normal outcome of a mission for them. Clearly, Leyla and Finn had been briefed differently to him.

“Why wasn’t I told of the actual mission?” Aaron snapped, coming to stand by Robert.

“You’re a damn good officer, Aaron, but you’d have refused to do it,” Robert shook his head. “We needed you for security.”

“So I don’t get a choice, do I?” Aaron felt like he was about to explode, his head swimming.

“War isn’t about choices, Aaron.”

“I say it is,” Aaron growled, looking to Finn and Leyla. “Are you done?” he asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He could care less about orders, about mission briefs, there and then.

He was getting them off this planet.

“Done,” Leyla stood up on shaky legs, Finn behind her. “What do we do now?”

“We’re getting off this planet,” Aaron replied, ignoring Robert’s incredulous look.

“We have orders, Dingle.”

“And you can shove your orders, Robert,” Aaron spat. “If you think I’m going to sit and wait for those Klingon ships to arrive, and tear us limb from limb, you’re stupider than you look.”

Without waiting for an answer, Aaron stomped out of the cave, mind on overdrive.

“They’re not going to beam us up, Aaron, it’ll give away the ships position to the Klingon’s, and they need to get that information to Federation head office,” Robert jogged after him. “Just do what you’re told, and follow orders.”

Aaron couldn’t stop himself, turning on his heel, and punching Robert in the jaw as hard as he could, seeing red. It didn’t matter, in that split second, that Robert was a Commander, his superior officer.

Aaron was just mad.

Robert looked at him with a shocked expression, hand cupping his jaw.

“You lied to me,” Aaron said, hating the tears that welled up in his eyes as he spoke. “You lied to me, Robert. Did you all get a chance to write your family letters, eh? Say your goodbyes in case this mission went wrong?”

Robert’s silence said it all.

“I didn’t get that, because you lied to me, you manipulative bastard,” Aaron said. “I am getting in that shuttle, and I am getting us off this planet. Come if you want - or not, I really don’t care.”

With that, he turned on his heel, jogging toward the shuttle. If Endurance was cloaked, Aaron pondered, pacing the ship, they wouldn’t be able to flag them down, get aboard quickly enough - not if there was a Klingon mothership up there, ready to shoot them down, and Endurance wasn't planning to shoot back.

“Finn?” Aaron called, knowing the younger man would have followed him. He should say a lot about Finn, he could, but he could never fault the other man’s loyalty, not when Finn was standing behind him, a nervous look on his face.

“I thought you knew,” Finn said, voice quiet, and small. “I volunteered, Aaron, so I though you knew, I’m sorry.”

“It doesn't matter,” Aaron shook his head. His problem was with Robert, with Smith - if command couldn’t be honest with him, he wanted out, he wanted to hand his Starfleet insignia back, and he wanted out.

“What can I do?”

“You know how you were messing around with cloaking technology, for the shuttles?” Aaron asked. “You think you can make it work? Long enough to get us within range of Endurance to board?”

Finn nodded. “I can try.”

Aaron clapped him on the shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile. “You’ve got this, Barton,” he said, turning his focus to Leyla. He hadn’t realised she’d followed them, her forehead creased with worry. “Can you boost all the power you can to the shields? We need to be able to get out of this planet’s gravity pull to be able to cloak.”

Leyla nodded. “Give me your pistols,” she said. “I can use the power packs to give the shuttle’s power system a boost, it should be enough to protect us from Klingon fire for an extra few minutes.”

“That’s all we’ll need,” Finn said, on the floor now, messing with the internal wiring of the ship.

“You’re really doing this, you’re disobeying a direct Starfleet order?” Robert asked, standing in the doorway of the shuttle, looking angrier than Aaron had ever seen him, his expression stony.

“Either get in and help, or get off my ship,” Aaron replied, not even bothering to look at the other man. “The choice is yours.”

They stood, at a stalemate for a second, before Robert moved, handing his pistol over to Leyla. “This isn’t over, Dingle.”

Aaron rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath as he handed Finn the tools he needed. “Bite me, asshole.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was it.

This was the only chance they were going to get to cloak, and get close enough to Endurance that they could use the shuttles recognition technology to open the bay doors.

“Are you sure this was the last recorded position of Endurance?” Aaron asked, looking at a nervous Finn as the plotted their course, the shuttle about to leave the ship’s atmosphere.

Finn nodded. “The shuttle records the position of the ship as it leaves,” he said. “Provided Endurance hasn’t moved, we’ll be okay.”

“Leyla?”

“Shields are holding steady.”

Aaron nodded. “Finn, cloak us on my mark,” he said, guiding the shuttle slowly out of the atmosphere. “ _Mark_.”

Aaron’s heart was in his mouth as he continued to fly the ship, the Klingon mothership in full view as they sailed past. “Is it working?”

“Well, they aren’t firing,” Finn said, voice shaking. “I think it’s working. Aaron, I think it’s working.”

“Lets not celebrate yet, eh?” Aaron shook his head. “We’ve still got a good bit of distance to go.”

Finn nodded, his focus on the screen in front of him as they flew, making sure the patched together cloaking technology was working. Aaron didn’t want to risk going too fast, and overdoing it, or celebrating too soon, but as they approached where the hangar bay should be, Aaron couldn’t help but start to smile.

They were going to make it.

Activating the recognition technology, Aaron let out a breath it felt like he’d been holding for hours as Endurance materialised, and the hangar bay doors opened, Aaron quickly flying the shuttle inside.

They’d barely docked, when Aaron felt it, the familiar tug on his stomach that happened every single time they launched into hyperspace, Endurance clearly getting the hell out of dodge.

“Thanks, Finn,” Aaron gave the younger man a sincere smile. “We wouldn’t have done it without you.”

Robert picked this exact moment to step in, his expression stony. “Go, get some food and shower,” he said. “I’ll let you know when Captain Smith wants to debrief. Lieutenant Dingle, with me.”

Aaron didn’t even bother stopping himself from rolling his eyes, following Robert out of the ship, and into the busy hallways of Endurance, Robert practically dragging him into an empty lab, slamming the doors shut behind them.

This was going to be bad, Aaron decided, not caring all that much about the fuse Robert was clearly about to blow. He was alive, and that was what mattered - not the chain of command, not following orders.

No, what mattered was that he was alive, and Robert could get fucked.

“You disobeyed a direct order, Dingle!” Robert practically roared, face red, his expression like thunder as he screamed at him. Aaron wasn’t sure he’d seen the commander this angry before, and it only made Aaron even more annoyed about everything that had happened. “Do you need reminding that we are at war or something?”

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Aaron asked through gritted teeth, determined not to lose it at Robert - just yet, anyway.

“What?”

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Aaron repeated, more annoyed than ever now. Robert wasn’t stupid, he’d heard exactly what he said.

“Yes, fine,” Robert shook his head, hands on hips as he waited for Aaron to speak, an expectant look on his face. His uniform was torn at the shoulder, Aaron noted, blackened with soot, and a reminder of all that had gone wrong that day.

“You made a bad decision,” Aaron said. “I disobeyed your orders, because they were bad orders, Robert.”

“And you expect me to believe you know better than I do?” Robert growled. “I have been a Starfleet officer since I was nineteen years old, Lieutenant Dingle, so a bit of respect for my authority would be appreciated.”

Aaron gave Robert the most defiant look he could muster, tilting his jaw. “I’m not going to respect the decisions of someone who was wiling to get everyone on that mission killed.”

Robert looked like he was ready to combust. “You’re on thin ice, Dingle.”

Aaron shrugged. “Fire me,” he said. “I stand by what I did, and I will go and stand in front of any Admiral in the Federation and say exactly what I just said to you, if you decide you want to take this further.”

“The chain of command exists for a reason.”

“The chain of command assumes theres someone competent in charge,” Aaron countered. “Your orders would have had us killed. If I hadn’t stepped in, and done exactly what needed to be done, this ship would be down a first officer, a security officer, and half a science team. Does that sound like a win to you?”

“I ordered -“

“I don’t give a shit what you ordered me to do,” Aaron shook his head. “If I had blown up that shuttle and waited for Klingons to come and attack us, we’d all be dead - and theres no guarantee they wouldn’t have pieced together the information they needed from the wreckage.”

“I was under strict orders not to let any of our tech fall into enemy hands,” Robert shook his head, hands on hips, his frustration practically palpable.

“You took me on a suicide mission, and you didn’t even have the guts to tell me,” Aaron countered, not even bothering to hide his disgust for the other man.

“You were thinking small scale, Aaron.”

Aaron felt like his blood had started to boil. “ _Small scale_? Do you hear yourself, Robert? We are talking about four lives here. That’s not small scale, not to me - thats four families getting a letter in the door telling them their kid died in service, when it was easy to avoid.”

He shoved at Robert’s chest. “Why did you join Starfleet?” he demanded. “Did you join it to let people die, eh?”

“You know I didn’t.”

“I don’t know that, do I? Because you seemed perfectly happy to let people die five minutes ago for the sake of some information, Robert,” Aaron couldn’t hold back his anger now. “I joined Starfleet to explore the universe, not to go to  _war_.”

“But war is our reality!” Robert countered, shoving Aaron’s hands off him. “War means making tough decisions, Aaron.”

Aaron shook his head. “No, not for me. War means losing as few people as we can.”

Robert looked at him, a genuinely sad expression on his face. “You’re too idealistic,” he shook his head. “The Klingons want to wipe the Federation out, Aaron. We’re going to lose people.”

“If I’m idealistic, you’ve just given up,” Aaron gave him a disgusted look. “You know, I used to admire you - someone from the same background as me, made it all the way to Lieutenant Commander before thirty. I used to want to be like you, hearing all the stories about you at the academy - but you’re just a coward, Robert, you’re as much of a coward as those Klingons are.”

Aaron hadn’t really expected Robert to lose it, but before he could say anything else, Robert had grabbed him, shoving him against the wall of the armoury, his expression furious, an arm pinning Aaron to the wall with a kind of ease Aaron hadn’t been expecting - he was strong in a bulky, obvious sort of way, but Robert was a less obvious kind of strong, Aaron easily at his mercy.

“Don’t you dare call me a coward,” Robert growled. “I lost most of my crew, because I made an idealistic decision, Aaron. My captain  _died_ , because I couldn’t follow her orders through.”

“I didn’t -“

“You didn’t know, whatever,” Robert interrupted. “I make the hard decisions because I know they need to be made, Aaron. Don’t you ever,  _ever_  disobey a direct order from me again. Are we clear?”

Aaron didn’t want to reply, didn’t want to answer with a blatant lie. He was never going to be able to accept making decisions that put lives at risk, not now, not for as long as this war went on.

He could feel Robert’s breath on his face, the acrid smell of burnt fabric filling his nostrils, the two of them still fully kitted out in their mission gear, the handle of Robert’s pistol digging into his hip.

It really wasn’t the time for his brain to decide he  _wanted_  Robert, but his brain (and dick) clearly hadn’t gotten the memo.

Neither had Robert, apparently, the commander’s lips on his own in a split second, Aaron stiff in his embrace, his brain working on overdrive to try and comprehend what was happening.

A minute ago, they were ready to tear each others throats out, and now - now he was kissing Robert?

Robert pulled back, clearly concerned he’d read the situation wrong, Aaron’s stiffness, his refusal to kiss back hardly a turn on. Up close, up this close, Aaron could practically count the freckles on Robert’s cheeks, could read every inch of his commander’s expression.

He looked terrified.

Robert had barely started to back away, when Aaron had made his decision, fingers curling tightly into Robert’s tac vest, crashing his lips against Robert’s. His mouth was warm, under Aaron’s, lips chapped and pliant, Robert kissing him back with a force Aaron could feel right in his toes.

Robert had his tongue shoved halfway down Aaron’s throat, fingers scratching through Aaron’s mission sweaty hair, hips rolling against Aaron’s own when they heard it, the clear, commanding tone of Captain Smith booming over the intercom.

“Commander Sugden, Lieutenant Dingle to the bridge.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Smith’s scrutiny was unbearable. They’d been in his office for a solid two minutes now, and he hadn’t so much as said a single word - his face hadn’t even changed expression, stoic, stony, and probably about to signal the end of Aaron’s Starfleet career.

“You had orders,” Captain Smith said simply.

“Sir,” Aaron began, caught off guard as Robert began to talk over him, confident in his lie.

“Sir, it was a decision made by both me and Lieutenant Dingle,” Robert interrupted. “We felt it was the most appropriate course of action to take, as it would complete the mission, and minimise any potential loss of life.”

“If you had misjudged where the hangar was, even by half an inch, Commander, you would have left Endurance open to fire by a Klingon mothership. How many lives would have been lost then?”

“We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t have full confidence in the coordinates, sir,” Robert said. “As commanding officer, I take full responsibly for this. Lieutenant Dingle was following orders.”

“Is this true, Lieutenant?”

Aaron swallowed thickly. “As the Commander said, sir, it was a joint decision,” he said, standing, hands behind his back. He didn’t know why Robert was so willing to take the blame, here, but he figured Robert was feeling the same as he did there and then, feeling the ghost of Aaron’s lips against his own, just like he was.

“You took a risk,” Captain Smith. “You could have jeopardised the lives of every single person on board this ship.”

Aaron could cry. All the years he’d worked for this, to be a Starfleet officer, and he was about to be done for bloody  _mutiny_ , or something.

“But you didn’t.” Captain Smith shook his head. “I’m not in the habit of losing good officers over one poor decision. Provided you two never put me in a position like this again, I think we can put today to rest.”

“Sir?” Aaron couldn’t hide his confusion.

“Would you rather I take this further, Lieutenant?” Captain Smith inquired, the tone of his voice a clear indication of how pissed the Captain still was, and it quietened Aaron completely.

“No, sir.”

“In that case, go and get some rest, tomorrow is a new fight.”

Neither Aaron or Robert moved.

“You’re dismissed,” Captain Smith said, gesturing to the door. “Go, please.”

Aaron kept his head down as they walked out of Captain Smith’s office, and off the bridge.

“Aaron.”

Aaron shook his head. “I can’t, Robert,” he managed to choke out, hating how Robert’s face fell at his words. “I need - I need to go.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron had managed some dinner, and a shower, when the knock at his door came, and he couldn’t help but sigh. Whoever was standing outside his door this late, better have good reason to be interrupting his evening.

He needed to rest, to  _think_.

Aaron really hadn’t been expecting Robert to be standing outside his door, in his casual clothes, the Commander looking out of place in the hoodie and soft tracksuit pants he was wearing, the Starfleet standard issue for off duty wear.

“Can I come in?” Robert inquired, a sincere look on his face that made it impossible for Aaron to say no, gesturing for the other man to come in. He was glad he’d gotten dressed before he answered the door, towelling his hair dry for another second or two as Robert awkwardly stood in the middle of Aaron’s quarters.

“Sit down,” Aaron gestured. “Do you want a drink?”

Robert shook his head. “Not sure if I’d stop if I got stared right now,” he admitted, sitting down on the edge of Aaron’s couch.

Aaron hummed his agreement. He knew that feeling, the one where you just wanted to drink yourself into oblivion, make the memories you carried with you disappear, for a few hours at least.

(And if Aaron’s bad memories predeceased Starfleet, well - no one had to know, least of all Robert.)

“I’m sorry.”

Aaron looked at Robert, studying his face for some sort of ulterior motive, some kind of insincerity, but all he saw was  _Robert_ , the commander looking tired, and almost childlike as he sat, hunched over on Aaron’s couch.

“Why?”

“Because I lied -“

“Why did you lie to me about what that mission was, Robert?” Aaron interrupted. “I’m not a child. I could have handled knowing - I should have been given the choice everyone else had, to decide if I wanted to go on a suicide mission or not.”

“The Captain wanted you on that mission,” Robert admitted. “I just did as he asked, and made sure you were onboard.”

“By lying?”

“I’m sorry,” Robert repeated. “I’m sorry, Aaron. I shouldn’t have lied to you, and I get it, if you want me to request a transfer, or something - I mean, I don’t know how quickly it might happen, but I can try.”

“I don’t want that.”

Robert gave him a wide-eyed look. “You don’t?”  
  
Aaron shook his head. “We work well together, when we try,” he gave Robert a small grin. “I want to be able to rely on you, Robert - I want us to be able to be confident we’ve got each others backs, out there. How I am supposed to feel like I can work with you, fight a war with you, if you’re lying to me about what these missions entail?”

Robert was quiet, for a second. “You’re right, you know,” he said, picking at a loose thread in his trousers. “I have lost sight of why I joined Starfleet.”

Aaron winced as he remembered his harsh words from earlier. “Robert, I-“

“You were right,” Robert gave him a sad smile. “I was like you, when I joined up. I’d just left home, my gran, my brother and sister - I’d been happy to leave that all behind for a life of adventure. My first assignment was on the USS Andromeda, under Captain Lopes. She was incredible, best officer I have ever served under, and I learned so much - I saw the universe, I did everything Starfleet is supposed to do. Spread knowledge, make new alliances, come in peace, all of that.”

“What changed?”

“Chrissie.” Robert grimaced. “I met her when I was twenty three. Her father, he’s Admiral in Command, General White.”

The name was familiar, Aaron quickly realising the Admiral-General had given the commencement speech at his own graduation from Starfleet Academy, what felt like a lifetime ago now.

“She had basically been trained to be a diplomatic, since she was a kid,” Robert continued. “I got caught up in the politics, of all this - I think I lost sight of why I was even a Starfleet officer, I got power hungry. I wanted people to notice me, you know? A scrawny kid from Northern England, somehow becomes a top class Starfleet officer. Chrissie helped me do that, and it was  _addictive_ , the success.”

“You wouldn’t have made Commander if you weren’t a damn good officer, Robert.”

“You think?”

“I know.” Aaron replied, voice firm. “Politics only gets so far. You can buy leadership - personality.”

Roberts eyes were shining with tears as he spoke again. “Then why did Finn and Leyla listen to you today, and not me?”

Aaron’s heart could have broken, listening to the overwhelming emotion in Robert’s voice, hearing the insecurities that made their way to the fore for the first time. There was so much he didn’t know about the other man, so much he  _wanted_  to know.

Aaron shifted a little closer to Robert. “Because I offered them a way off that planet,” he said, itching to reach out and touch Robert, take one of his hands in his own. “I could have gotten us killed.”

“You didn’t.”

“I could have,” Aaron repeated. “It was reckless. You’re right, I am too idealistic, Robert - I’m not built for war, I’m not built for any of this. I just wanted to see the universe, and I got this instead, and I - I haven’t hardened to war, like the rest of you have, and it makes me stupid, and naive.”

Robert’s face softened, and he took them both by surprise, cupping Aaron’s cheek in his hand, thumb stroking over Aaron’s cheekbone. Aaron couldn’t help but melt into Robert’s touch, the older man’s hand warm against his skin, comforting.

“Please don’t change,” Robert said quietly. “Meeting you - it’s reminding me why I wanted to be a Starfleet officer, in the first place, why I signed up, all those years ago.”

Aaron couldn’t stop the flush that appeared on his cheeks, embarrassed by Robert’s praise. “Don’t.”

“I mean it, Aaron,” Robert moved closer, close enough that Aaron could feel Robert’s breath on his skin, could study every inch of Robert’s face close up, like he had done earlier, in the lab - except this time, they had all the time in the world, this time it wasn’t out of anger, when Robert pressed his lips to Aaron’s in a brief, barely there kiss. “You’re what Starfleet should me. You’re making me want to be a better officer.”

Aaron’s eyes were lidded, as he replied. “Why did you tell the Captain getting off that planet was your idea too?” he asked, chewing on the side of his lip, Robert’s hands warm enough that they felt like they were burning, against his skin.

Robert thumbed at Aaron’s bottom lip, brushing the pad of his finger over the marred skin. “Because I’m beginning to realise just how much I need you, Dingle.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert had stayed. Aaron hadn’t expected it, really, but he’d stayed. They hadn’t done more than exchange a few soft, barely there kisses, the two of them emotionally wrung out, overwhelmed by the events of the day to do anything else.

But he’d stayed.

Aaron had woken during the night, Robert pressed to his back, the Commander’s face buried into his neck, and he’d been surprised by how comfortable he’d felt, how completely normal it had felt.

They’d talked, for hours, talked about the mission, about Starfleet, about the war, and it had been a long time since Aaron had felt that close to anyone in a long, long time.

Since Ed, really.

The distant sound of his alarm roused Aaron from his doze, and he stretched out, disappointed as he realised Robert wasn’t there. He probably had an earlier start than Aaron, to be fair, and Aaron didn’t think much of it as he got up, shrugging on his uniform, ready for another day aboard Endurance.

He didn't even think of not seeing Robert throughout the day, Aaron supervising the repair work on a number of their shuttles all morning, the kind of grunt work he was assigned because of what he’d done yesterday.

It was better than a court martial, he supposed.

“Aaron!”

Aaron turned around to see Ed jogging after him, a genuine smile on his ex-boyfriends face. “Hiya,” he returned the smile. “How are you?”

“I should be asking how you are!” Ed exclaimed. ‘Yesterday was insane, Aaron - I heard about everything that had happened, from Finn. Are you alright? Do you need to come and checked out in medical?”

Aaron laughed, appreciating Ed’s concern, even now, so long after their breakup. “I’m fine, Ed, honest,” he reassured. “I’d have dropped by, if I hadn’t been.”

Ed gave him an incredulous look. “Do you need me to remind you of the time you broke your ankle at the academy and continued to walk on it because - and I am quoting you directly here, Aaron - ‘it was just a twisted ankle.’”

Aaron snorted, remembering how annoyed Ed had been with him that day. “I’m fine, I swear. Look, if it’ll shut you up, I’ll come by medical now, and you can check me out - and prove me  _right_.”

“Why have you always got to be such a snarky bastard?” Ed rolled his eyes, shoving at Aaron’s side as the two of them headed down the hallway toward the medical bay, Aaron laughing in response.

“You love me, don’t lie.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron didn’t see Robert for close to two days, which was quite the feat, considering they were both ship command staff. He didn’t actually see him until they were due to go on a trade mission, Aaron offering Robert a smile as they geared up.

“Hiya,” he said softly, trying not to draw the rest of the teams attention, knowing they hadn’t really had time to figure out what they were, just yet - or if they were anything at all.

Robert blatantly ignored him, turning his attention to the rest of the team - and well, that set the tone for the rest of the day. Robert didn’t so much as look at Aaron, and he only spoke (barked, actually) to give him orders.

By time they got back to Endurance, Aaron was fit to kill, and before he could say a word, Robert had practically bolted from the shuttle bay, leaving Aaron to debrief the team quickly.

Thankfully it had only been a routine trading mission, but Aaron was still pissed as anything. Two nights ago, they were trading their deepest secrets in bed, and now Robert was ignoring him?

No, that wasn't going to do.

Aaron barely stopped himself from making a scene, as he knocked on the door to Robert’s quarters, blood boiling.

“I’m busy.”

“I don’t care,” Aaron shoved past Robert, into his quarters. They were bigger than Aaron’s, but not by as much as he’d expected, if he was honest - but any remarks on the decoration slipped his mind as he turned on Robert. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Robert shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest, still half dressed in his uniform, having only stripped off his jacket.

Willing himself not to be distracted by Robert’s arms (and god, they were distracting), Aaron replied. “You’ve been ignoring me for days,” he snapped. “What am I supposed to have done, eh?”

“I don’t know, ask Ed,” Robert muttered, looking everywhere except at Aaron.

“Whats that supposed to mean?”

“Leyla told me all about lover boy,” Robert replied, looking angrier now. “You and Ed, academy sweethearts. Nice that, isn’t it?”

Aaron couldn’t help but see red. “Are you trying to imply I’m sleeping with Ed, or something?” he asked, stepping closer to Robert. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m not. Ed and I broke up a year ago, you dick.”

“It didn’t look like that yesterday.”

“And you didn’t think to ask me, no?” Aaron practically growled. “What, do you think I’m wandering around the ship, whoring myself out to any fella who looks at me twice?”

“Aaron -“

“No, you don’t get to just assume shit about me,” Aaron was incredulous. “Ed is engaged, if you must know - to Rayan, from engineering. You know, the one he shares quarters with?”

Robert at least had the shame to look embarrassed. “Aaron, I-“

“I want you,” Aaron interrupted. “I  _wanted_  you, Robert, and you couldn’t just  _talk_  to me?”

“Wanted?”

“Really, thats what you decided to catch on to? Out of everything I said?” Aaron couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“I don’t like sharing.”

“You never were,” Aaron couldn’t help but let his gaze flicker to Robert’s lips, his anger calming slightly.

“I shouldn’t have assumed anything,” Robert stepped a little closer, stepped into Aaron’s personal space. “I’m sorry.”

Aaron rolled his eyes. “Sure you are.”

“I’m a jealous person,” Robert said, pulling Aaron in by his waist. “It’s only because I want you.”

“It’s not attractive,” Aaron countered, hating how his heart sped into overdrive, Robert’s proximity turning him on almost instantly. He hated how easy it was for Robert to have him melting into a puddle, all it took was a hand on his waist, a warm breath on his cheek, and Aaron was a goner.

“Am I forgiven?”

Aaron couldn’t help but melt into Robert’s arms, fingers tangling in the material of Robert’s undershirt. “I think you’ll have to persuade me some more,” he said, as coy and as sly as he could make himself.

(And convince him Robert did.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron could almost convince himself they weren’t at war, now he was sleeping with Robert. They tended to work the same shifts, work the same missions, and so he was spending every waking moment with Robert, or in Robert’s bed.  

Which was exactly where he was right now, Robert’s dick buried in his ass, the older man pinning Aaron’s hands over his head, rendering him completely immobile as he thrusted leisurely, a self satisfied grin on his face.

“Robert,” Aaron tried to sound angry, demanding, but the broken moan that escaped his lips mid-sentence didn’t exactly help his cause, Robert looking even more delighted with himself after every whimper, every moan.

Aaron should have known Robert was a cocky bastard in bed.

The first explosion was so perfectly timed with a thrust, Aaron had to wonder if he’d somehow ascended to another plane of existence mid-shag, but then the second one came.

And the third.

And the fourth.

“Robert,” Aaron looked at him, eyes wide with concern. “We need to get to the bridge.”

Robert was already halfway to pulling out, the empty feeling making Aaron wince as he scrambled out of Robert’s bed, looking for his long since discarded uniform, the ship rocking with the force of every explosion.

Aaron had been scared before. He’d been goddamn terrified, so many times in his life, but his heart was pounding out of his chest as he and Robert ran for the bridge, emergency lights in overdrive.

They were under attack.

“Barton, increase power to the shields,” Captain Smith ordered, looking haggard as he stood in the midst of the chaotic bridge. “Sugden, Dingle,” he acknowledged their presence, barking orders.

“Whats happening, sir?” Aaron asked, hoping everyone would put his haphazard appearance down to him having been asleep. Endurance was supposed to be in a safe zone, engineering teams carrying out repairs to the outer hull before they were caught in another battle.

“A surprise Klingon attack,” Captain Smith said. “We’ve got two war ships, and some fighters. No mothership yet.”

“Have our fighters launched?” Aaron asked.

“No.”

“I’ll lead,” Aaron said, turning to run from the bridge as soon as Captain Smith gave him a nod of confirmation.

“Aaron,” Robert’s voice was thick with concern as he put a hand out to stop him, his touch gentle.

Aaron gave him a reassuring smile. “We’ve got people to keep safe, remember?” he said, voice quiet.

“Just make sure you come back to me,” Robert said, the emotional wobble to his voice unmistakable. “We’ve got unfinished business, you and me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfinished business.

Thats what Aaron kept repeating over, and over as he flew, firing at all angles. He had a ship full of people to protect, and Robert was one of those people. Maybe it wasn’t the right way to be thinking, but it kept his focus, more than an hour into the all out battle the supposed safe zone had become.

They weren’t going to be able to hold out much longer, and certainly not if a Klingon mothership turned up.

This wasn’t how Aaron wanted to go, fighting Klingons in dead space. He’d imagined a nice country cottage, on a warmer planet than Earth - a place to retire too, after a long, long, happy life.

Maybe he just wasn’t destined for the happy ever after, Aaron decided, blowing another Klingon ship to smithereens, hating how satisfied he was to watch it explode, hated how desensitised he’d become to war.

It felt like the inside of Aaron’s brain was being shaken around, as his shuttle was hit, knocking his head into the side of the ship. Blood pouring down the side of his face, Aaron did a quick check of his display unit, realising he still had enough shield power left to keep going.

“ _Starfleet, this is Captain Robert Sugden of the USS Endurance,_ ” Aaron’s eyes widened as Robert’s voice boomed over the intercom. “ _Down your weapons. A peace treaty has been signed.”_

The silence that fell over the dead space they were fighting in was eery, the kind of silence Aaron wasn’t likely to ever forget, no matter how long he lived. It was as though no one knew what to do, Klingons and Federation alike.

“ _It’s over,_ ” Robert repeated. “ _Come back. It’s over - we’re going home_.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was hours, before Aaron saw Robert, hours before anyone let him leave the medical bay, his faced stitched up, bruises blossoming all across the left side of his face. Eventually, he managed to wriggle free of Ed’s grasp, and he headed for the Captain’s office, needing answers.

Robert was standing, staring at the Captain’s chair, as though it was going to bite him.

“Robert?”

Robert turned around, pure relief written on his face as he realised who it was. “You’re okay,” he breathed, pulling Aaron in for a bone crushing hug before he pulled back, carefully inspecting Aaron’s injuries.

“So are you,” Aaron said, brushing a thumb over the nasty looking cut on Robert’s forehead.

“I hit a control unit,” Robert explained. “Think they’ll let me kill the Klingon that did this to you?”

“It’s over, Robert,” Aaron breathed, the news still not sinking in. “How did it happen?”

“Admiral White called, said the secret peace talks had gone to plan, that they’d signed a peace treaty with the Klingons and we were to down weapons, the war was over,” Robert said, sitting on the edge of his desk. “Too little too late.”

This was the question Aaron didn’t want to ask. “Smith?” he said, tears welling in his eyes at Robert’s expression. The man who’d been his mentor for so long, was dead, and Aaron hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye.

Robert ran a tired hand over his face. “Klingons targeted the bridge directly,” he began, voice heavy with tears. “Smith died on impact. So did Fielding and Emerson, I don’t have numbers for the rest of the ship yet.”

Aaron stepped between Robert’s legs, immediately knowing there was more to this than Robert was letting on. “Talk to me,” he said quietly, running his fingers through the soft hair at the back of Robert’s neck.

“They called it a wartime promotion,” Robert said quietly. “Captain Robert J Sugden, USS Endurance.”

“Suits you.”

“Feels wrong,” Robert said. “Someone died, and I got a promotion?”

“It doesn't matter how it happened,” Aaron shook his head. “You deserve to be Captain, Robert, you earned this.”

“It doesn’t feel like I did,” Robert admitted, clinging tightly to Aaron’s waist, pressing his face to Aaron’s chest, small and childlike in Aaron’s embrace. “It feels wrong, Aaron.”

Aaron pressed a kiss to the top of Robert’s head, wishing there was something he could do, or say, that would make it better. “You earned it,” he repeated. “But if you don’t believe that, you’ve got all the time in the world to prove you deserve to be a Captain, to have your own command.”

“Can we just stay here and not talk about it?” Robert asked, practically begging, pleading with Aaron. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Neither did Aaron, really.

He mostly just wanted to mourn. Mourn the people they’d lost that day, mourn their Captain. It felt wrong, to do anything except sit with Robert, and cry, the two of them overwhelmed by the events of the day, of the day that would become known as Federation Armistice Day, the day that signalled the end of years of war, and terror.

Aaron could imagine the celebrations happening across the Federation, but he didn’t want to.

He just wanted to cry, and cry, and cry, until the pain he felt in his chest was bearable, enough to ignore.

(Aaron wasn’t sure that was ever going to happen.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aaron felt the kind of tired sleep wouldn’t fix, tired to his very bones, as he made his way to the bridge, Robert having summoned the command staff there for whatever reason. They were about an hour from Earth, about an hour from getting off Endurance, and back on home territory.

He should have felt happy, but the weight of the last few weeks, the losses they’d endured - well, they were weighing heavy on Aaron’s mind. It was hard, to celebrate the end of the war, rejoice the way people all across the Federation were, images of the pete treat being signed being replayed over, and over on every news station in the universe.

Aaron wasn’t going to be able to forget the war as easily as that.

“Barton, open a ship wide channel,” Robert asked. His eye was healing, the jagged cut that had ordained his forehead for hours slowly closing up, someone from medical having worked their magic on their new Captain.

Aaron leaned against one of the stationary units, curious as to what Robert was about to say.

“There’s not much I can say now, that’s going to make any of us feel better,” Robert began. “We lost friends, family over the past few days - years, really, and it’s not going to be easy to move on from this, from the things we’ve all seen during this war. But we have a duty to those we lost to move on, and make this Federation a better place than it has been the last two years. Today, we mourn. We mourn the people we lost, the people who didn’t get to see this victory, but tomorrow? Tomorrow, we do what we all joined Starfleet to do. We explore, we learn, and we make this universe a more peaceful place, and we do it in the name of everyone we lost.”

Robert paused, looking over at Aaron. From this angle, he could see how tired Robert looked, how the dark circles under his eyes seemed sunken, how his uniform didn’t seem to sit right, the impact of the final days of the war taking its toll.

“It has been an honour, to serve with each and every one of you,” Robert continued. “Five years ago, they named this ship Endurance, for no other reason than it being the next on a list of names for Federation ships. This crew, every single person on board this ship, you’ve given that name meaning - through the hardest days of this war, you all endured, and it has not only been an honour to be your Captain, but your crewmate. Godspeed, crew.”

Robert nodded to Finn, who shut off the ship wide channel, the bridge slowly but surely returning to their stations, readying themselves for their final journey home. “Was that okay?” he asked, coming to stand next to Aaron by the Captain’s chair.

Aaron nodded. “They needed to hear that.”

“They deserved to,” Robert countered. “How you holding up?”

“I’m enduring,” Aaron quipped, heart swelling at the soft, secretive smile Robert gave him. “What happens now?”

“Endurance is being retired,” Robert said. “The Federation has already established a war commission, and they’re retiring some of the more war-beaten ships to become part of a Federation museum on the Klingon war.”

Aaron looked around the bridge, finding it hard to imagine that in a matter of weeks, maybe even days, the ship he’d called his home for so long now, was going to be a relic in a museum, something people went to see, to commemorate the Klingon war.

They’d never understand what it was really like, to serve on a ship like Endurance. History books, museums - they’d never be able to accurately describe what it was like, to serve aboard a war ship like this. No, the only people who would ever understand what it was like, were the people on board Endurance there and then.

Maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.

“And us?” Aaron asked quietly.

Robert gave his hand a discreet squeeze, a promise of the comfort he’d give when they were in private. “We endure.”

“Captain Sugden, we are due to drop out of hyperspace in approximately fifteen seconds,” Finn said, looking over his shoulder.

Robert nodded, hesitant for a second before he slid into the Captain’s chair. “Sit back, and enjoy the ride, Barton. We’re home.”

Aaron stood next to Robert as the ship dropped out of hyperspace, watching as Earth came into view for the first time in nearly two years, as blue and green as it had been the day he’d left, boarding a transport shuttle to take him to his first assignment, the newly anointed warship Endurance.

And now they were home, it was really over.

Aaron didn’t let himself believe it until they were disembarking a transport shuttle, the sudden noise and excitement a shock to his system. There was people everywhere, surrounding the landing dock, banners and balloons and bright colours an assault on his senses, the celebratory mood a shock.

“Lieutenant, welcome home - and thank you for your service.”

Aaron didn’t even register which Starfleet higher-up was congratulating him, tears blurring his vision.

He’d made it home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It had been weeks, since he’d last seen Robert, weeks since the war had ended, and Aaron couldn’t help but feel nervous as he got off his transport shuttle, the vast expanse of Starfleet Headquarters in front of him.

What if things weren’t the same, now they weren’t thrown together by the ever impending threat of Klingon attack? What if -

“Aaron.”

A warm, familiar voice shook Aaron’s insecurities from his mind, and he turned, to see Robert standing beside him, wearing his civvies. He was wearing a pair of tight blue trousers that left absolutely nothing to the imagination, material tight across his legs, his arse, paired with a black leather jacket that had Aaron’s mouth watering.

Robert was unfairly gorgeous.

“Robert,” Aaron couldn’t help but echo his warm tone, practically melting into Robert’s embrace as the other man offered him a hug. “How are you?” he asked, the rest of the world feeling as though it had melted away to nothing, now he had Robert in front of him.

“I’m good,” Robert confirmed. “I spent our downtime with Vic, and Andy - and my gran, it was good to see them again. You?”

Aaron hummed his agreement. “I was with my mum, the whole time - she threw me a welcome home party, that was a disaster.”

“Really?” Robert raised an eyebrow.

“You’ve never seen a proper Dingle party,” Aaron snorted, gesturing toward the building. “Should we go and get our room assignments?”

Robert winked. “You’ve got a one track mind, Aaron.”

Aaron flushed. “I don’t - I didn’t mean it like that, you dick, I just didn’t want to keep standing around here like a lemon, did I?”

“It’s okay, you can just admit you’re desperate for me,” Robert teased, slinging an arm around Aaron’s shoulders as they walked into the headquarters building, ready to get their temporary room assignments, none of them having been assigned new deployments yet.

Aaron rolled his eyes. “I’d rather not, actually.”

“I’m desperate for you, you know,” Robert said, shameless as he ducked his lips to Aaron’s ear, teeth grazing the skin there, sending shivers down Aaron’s spine. “Do you realise how long its been?”

It had been six weeks, four days since they’d last gotten to be with each other. Not that Aaron had been counting, or anything.

“You planning to make up for all that time all at once?” Aaron raised an eyebrow. Even Robert, for all his confidence and cockiness, didn’t have six weeks worth of stamina. Aaron wouldn’t be surprised if he could make the older man cum in his pants after a snog, like they were teenagers.

Robert gave Aaron a delighted grin. “If you think you’re leaving my quarters until the memorial ceremony, you’re wrong.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It felt a bit wrong, to be checking out Robert Sugden’s arse, hours after the memorial ceremony, hours after they’d commemorated all those they’d lost in the long, long two years they’d been at war with the Klingons.

It was supposed to be a celebration now, though. Thats what the Admiral had said - today was a day to remember, but also to celebrate, to celebrate the peace treaty that had been signed with the Klingons, celebrate the start of a new era of Starfleet.

And to celebrate Robert Sugden’s arse, apparently.

Everything about Robert was intoxicating, but even more so when he was wearing his dress uniform, looking the kind of neat, and tidy, and put together none of them had really had the opportunity to be over the last few months. He pulled off the fancier uniform better than Aaron did, anyway, the older man looking at ease in the stiff Starfleet blues in a way Aaron wasn’t sure he’d ever be, no matter how long he served the Federation.

Aaron came to a standstill next to Robert, leaning against the railing, the sound of the waves lapping against the shore unfamiliar after so long in space, one of those subtle Earth things he hadn’t realised he’d miss, when he first joined up, when his Starfleet Academy letter had come in the post, Admiral White’s booming voice congratulating him on his acceptance loud against the background of the still closed pub he worked in with his mum. “What do we do now?” he asked quietly, glancing at the other man, the person he’d come to rely on most of all.

It didn’t matter that they hadn’t figured it, them, out yet. Dating within Starfleet was weird, and Aaron was grateful that other people didn’t know, not really - they needed some time to figure it out for themselves, see if they worked outside of  _war_ , outside of the high pressure situation that had thrown them together in the first place, trapped on the front lines, nowhere to go, no-one else to turn to.

“We do what Starfleet was created to do,” Robert said, glancing over at Aaron. In the golden light of the setting sun, his eyes seemed to glow, freckles highlighted by the watery sunlight. “We explore, we discover - we go where no man has ever gone before,” he quipped with a grin.

“I’ve only ever known war,” Aaron admitted, fidgeting with the stem of his champagne glass, the glass heavy in his hands, nothing like the thin metal cups he was used to handling aboard the Endurance. “I don’t - I don’t really know what to do, now it’s over. What if I’m no good at being a Starfleet officer, a real one?”

“You  _are_  a real Starfleet officer,” Robert shook his head, turning to look at Aaron.  He gave Aaron a sincere smile, one reminiscent of the ones he’d give when they were curled up in bed together, Robert’s heart on his sleeve, and his facade gone, sincere and honest in a way only Aaron really got to know. “You’re one of the best officer’s I’ve ever served with, Aaron.”

“Then why haven’t I been assigned a ship yet?” Aaron blurted, nerves and insecurities on show now. Like he could ever be anything but honest with Robert, these days at least.

“USS Enterprise,” Robert said easily, the grin on his face about a mile wide, as he spilled all the secrets he’d probably been told by command to keep quiet. “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Aaron’s jaw felt as though it was about to hit the floor. “How - how did you know?”

“I know, because it’s my new command,” Robert said. “And there was only one person I’d accept as my first officer.”

Aaron’s eyes felt as though they were about to spring out of his head. “You what?”

“You heard me -  _Lieutenant Commander_  Dingle,” Robert grinned, pausing to take a sip of his champagne, lips perfectly pink against the crystal of the glass, making Aaron’s stomach do somersaults, pure  _want_  tugging at the pit of his belly. “You ready to explore the universe?”

Aaron’s grin was practically splitting his face in two as he replied, the golden setting of San Francisco bay at sunset feeling like the perfect location, for one of most perfect moments of his life, Robert clinking his glass against Aaron’s, looking as though as he wanted to do there and then was snog the life out of him. “ _We come in peace_ , innit?”

**tbc**.


End file.
